Brothers
by CCD
Summary: Secrets and lies have torn them apart and only truth can make things right again. When Sasuke and Itachi reach their conclusion, all is not as it seems. Can Itachi tell Sasuke the truth behind the death of their clan and can Sasuke ever forgive him?
1. Uncertanty of Death

**Brothers  
****Prologue: Uncertainty of Death (version 2)  
****August 19, 2007  
****By CCD**

**A/N: I decided to rewrite the prologue, because I felt like I could do so much better because I really like this story and I feel that the original version didn't do it much justice. I want to see what you think, so reviewing would help a great deal in giving me an idea of which version you prefer better. Thank you!**

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Black smoke filled the skies as shinobi watched…waiting in case the worst occurred. It was their biggest fear that the smoke would head towards the village. They had called for the Hokage to come to the gate, knowing that she would be the only one to bring hope to the fearful shinobi.

"What is going on here," Tsunade yelled as she walked up to the gate followed by Shizune and all five members of team Kakashi.

"Lady Hokage, there's a great deal of smoke coming from that way," Ino yelled back as she pointed to the cloud that was slowly being blown towards the village.

"What on earth…" Tsunade said as she stared at the black abyss in the sky.

"Lady Tsunade, we need to check it out. It could bring danger to the village."

"I know that Shizune," she looked around at who she had with her, "Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, come with me; Shizune round up the shinobi here and divide them up to different area's of the village in case it turns into an attack."

"But, Lady Tsunade…"

"Don't argue with me. Just do it! Let's go."

The squad took off in haste until they reached a clearing. Fires were still burning in the area, in the middle stood two figures about the same height with similar features. So similar that there was no doubt that the two were brothers…Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha.

It was clear to them that the brothers had decided to fight to the death. There were no cheap tricks. Both brothers were giving their all to end it one war or another. The four leaf shinobi watched in shock at the scene. They had missed most of the fight, seeing as the brother's stood deadlocked, Sasuke was holding his sword against Itachi's Kunai knife. Since they had resorted to weapons and taijutsu, they were low on chakra.

When the two of them realized they weren't getting anywhere they backed off for a moment sliding into place allowing their audience to get a good look at them.. Itachi's Akatsuki robe was in shambles on the grass and his clothing was torn. His long hair that was normally pulled back was out of its tie and hung over one shoulder and into his face. Sasuke's shirt barely clung to his body and his pants were torn at the knees. All in all, it looked like Sasuke was making out better than Itachi.

"I want some answers, Itachi," Sasuke yelled as he charged at his brother again.

"I gave you my answer years ago, foolish little brother."

"Liar!"

The quartet watched in awe as the battle continued. It was amazing that the two men could keep up the speed they were going. After a few minutes the spectators saw a flash of light and the estranged brothers stood still. Sasuke stood with his hand through Itachi's stomach, the remains of Chidori dying on his hand. He pulled his hand back out and glared at his older brother.

"Well done, Sasuke," Itachi said in a strangled voice as he coughed up blood.

"You're not done yet, Itachi. You owe me answers. Why did you do it?"

"You should have thought of that before you put Chidori through my stomach."

"That can be corrected," Tsunade said as she stepped into the clearing with the others, surprising the brothers.

"Tsunade," Sasuke said letting Itachi drop to the floor.

"He owes the village some answers too. I'm not going to let him slip away from us either, she said as she began applying chakra to the hole in Itachi's stomach, "If you want answers, you'll have to return to the village. Sakura, let's get to work."

Sasuke backed off and stood by Naruto and Kakashi who were still speechless from watching the battle. As Sasuke took a step back he felt pain shoot up his leg and his world began to fade into black as he felt himself falling forward. The last think he heard was his name being called as he hit the ground before giving in to the darkness.


	2. Unsettling Thoughts

**Brothers  
****Chapter 1: Unsettling Thoughts  
****August 19, 2007  
****By CCD**

**A/N: Sorry, this was suppose to go up with the prologue, but the document manager was being a pain so I gave up. Enjoy! BTW there is an excerpt from the next chapter in my bio. Check it out!**

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Obsidian eyes opened to the bright sunlight coming in from the window. He tried to sit up, but winced as pain shot through his abdomen. Itachi brushed his hair out of his face and looked down at his bandaged stomach. He thought back on the battle with Sasuke.

His younger brother had demanded answers; answers that he thought he would take to his grave. Itachi knew that he owed his little brother that much, but if Sasuke knew the truth what would he think. Would he accept it, or pass it off as another one of Itachi's lies. Maybe he should have explained himself years ago or taken his little brother and run. Hell, he probably could have told the third Hokage so that it could have been stopped.

The stoic man sighed. He still might not have to tell Sasuke. Most likely he would have to get through the Hokage and the elders before Sasuke would have the slightest opportunity to talk to him. He could keep up his charade for as long as it took to get himself executed. It was what he deserved, but then again, maybe death was the easy way out and he didn't deserve it. He smirked and tilted his head back slightly on the pillow. Things were still so complicated.

The door opened to reveal Tsunade. She walked into the room and looked directly at the elder Uchiha.

"I never thought I would be taking care of Itachi Uchiha; an S-class Bingo Book deviant, responsible for the destruction of his entire clan except his seven-year-old brother. This is definitely unexpected," she said as she picked up his chart on the end of the bed.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to save me either. If I'm such a deviant, why did you bother to save me?"

"Because you owe this village a lot, and you owe your brother everything. I can stand you not paying back the village, but after seeing the suffering you inflicted on Sasuke, I must insist you at least give him the explanation and peace he has so desperately fought for."

The two powerful shinobi were quiet for a moment. Itachi thought about her words and knew that she was right.

"You know when I first met Sasuke he was in a Tsukuyomi induced coma. He was weak and when he started to go on missions, he doubted his powers and abilities. It led to his jealousy of Naruto and his deflection from the village. To think he wanted to kill you so badly and yet he let us save you."

"Only because he wants answers that only I can give him."

"Yes, and depending upon those answers, will determine what we do with you."

"I'm surprised that you and the council haven't just decided to kill me."

"We still might, Itachi, however, Sasuke believes that there is more to the story than what you told him years ago so we're going to let him talk to you as soon as he wakes up. You two go all out when you're trying to kill each other."

Itachi smirked.

"So, you all think I'm hiding something."

"Maybe, maybe not, but I think you should at least tell your story or at least give your explanations as to why you would do such a thing. Despite what you think, you owe Sasuke that at least."

"I know."

Tsunade paused. She never expected Itachi to actually admit that he owed his little brother an explanation. She scribbled some things on the chart and placed it back on the peg at the end of the bed.

"Get some rest. Your wounds are still healing and you need all your strength for later."

Itachi nodded and closed his eyes as the Hokage left him to his thoughts. He didn't know what he was going to tell his little brother.

* * *

Sasuke sulked as he sat up in his hospital bed. His legs screamed in protest when he tried to move them and his right arm was in a sling seeing as his shoulder was broken. He made some slow hand signs before applying a little bit of chakra to his shoulder. After all the time he spent in the medical room with Kabuto, he had learned some medical ninjutsu. The door slid open to reveal Sakura with Naruto and Kakashi right behind her. 

"If you're going to interrogate me, leave. I don't need it."

"Save your chakra, Sasuke. It's still critically low from the battle," Sakura said as she picked up Sasuke's chart and looked it over.

Sasuke hesitated slightly before stopping the chakra flow and placing his uninjured arm at his side. Here they were, Genin squad seven. They had crossed paths not that long ago, but now things were different.

"Well, you're healing fairly quickly. Your leg muscles are still slightly damaged, but another couple of days they'll be fine. Your shoulder could take a little bit longer though."

"I heal quickly."

He glanced at his former teammates, especially Naruto. He was surprised that the blond was quiet. He smirked knowing just how to get the blond going.

"Dobe, you're being quiet. I'm surprised you haven't tried to take a swing at me."

"Heh, I don't beat up injured people."

"It's never stopped you before."

Naruto's temper flared as he stepped forward to punch Sasuke only to be stopped by Kakashi. This was how they communicated; it was the only way they could cope with everything that was going on.

"Now Naruto, you said you were going to be calm," Kakashi said with a smirk.

"He started it," the blond retorted earning a smack to head from Sakura.

The hyperactive ninja scowled at the sole female in the room before glancing at Sasuke.

"He was smart to turn someone like you down," Naruto muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing,"

"Is that so?"

Naruto only gave a wide fake grin, knowing if he didn't he was going to be pounded flat. While Naruto and Sakura were arguing, Kakashi looked over at Sasuke.

"So, Sasuke, what are you going to do now?"

Student and Sensei looked at each other before the younger man put his head down so that his hair covered his face.

"I don't know. Though I won't be satisfied until I get some answers from Itachi and kill him."

The elder man sighed. Same old one track minded Sasuke.

"Well you better start thinking. You're in big trouble and if you think we're going to let you waltz out of the village again…" he left the rest of the threat hang in the air.

"And what about my status in the village?"

It was Tsunade who answered from the doorway.

"The council is willing to overlook you leaving the village if you are willing to return and resume your duties as a shinobi of this village. Granted you will be on a probationary period for a while until you prove yourself again, but you've done more to help the village than hinder it and that is the only reason why they are willing to overlook you leaving in the first place."

"So, Sasuke can come back?" Naruto asked.

"Dobe, that's what she just said. Have you started to go deaf in my absence as well," Sasuke said in his usual dark, but teasing tone.

"Shut up," the irate blond yelled back.

"All right enough you two, Oh and Sasuke, if you try to leave again, I'll personally drag you back myself if it comes to that, and if that happens, you'll be in worse shape than your brother," Tsunade said as she turned to leave.

"Tsunade…"

She stopped and turned to look at the dark haired teen.

"I want to talk to Itachi."

She sighed, but she should have known that was what he was going to say. After all she did just mention Itachi and brought on the request, no…demand. He wouldn't bother to make it a request, knowing she would probably say no. The Hokage was going to have to tell a partial lie to get the teen to drop the subject for the day.

"You'll get your chance, just not today. He's so drugged up on pain medication that he's incoherent. You wouldn't get very good answers, and besides, what's the rush? He's not leaving and neither are you," with that the Hokage was gone.

"Sakura, Naruto, let's let Sasuke get some rest," Kakashi said.

Naruto nodded as Sakura finished writing down observation notes.

"We'll see you later, bastard," Naruto said before walking out the door.

"Remember, not to use your chakra, and try to get some rest. You'll heal even faster," Sakura said with a smile before she also left.

The white haired Jounin gave a two fingered salute as he closed the door behind his two healthy squad members and disappeared with a 'poof.' Sasuke felt a small pain in his chest. He layed a hand over his aching heart and knew the reason, even though his mind was trying to tell his heart that it was temporary.

_I'm alone again…_


	3. I Want Answers NOW!

**Brothers  
****Chapter 2: I Want Answers…NOW!  
****September 8, 2007  
****By CCD**

**A/N: I want to apologize if Itachi and Sasuke seem a little OC, but I find it appropriate for the situation that they're in and also for Itachi talking in large chunks. I tried to find appropriate places to break it up, but it was difficult since Sasuke has a tendency to be overly quiet and fairly mature in what he says. Hope you enjoy it anyway! (For episode references, see episodes 84, 128-131 so there will be SPOILERS!)**

* * *

Two long weeks had gone by since the Uchiha brothers had been hospitalized. Despite the fact that the two of them were mostly recovered, it surprised the village that neither one of them had tried to leave the hospital or even worse…the village. Despite the fact that Tsunade put ANBU right outside the doors and the hospital itself, everyone knew that if the Uchihas wanted to escape they could easily do so.

The younger paced the floor of his hospital room. He had closed the blinds for privacy, which he knew upset the guards outside, but he didn't care. All he cared about was finding a way to get to Itachi. What he would do when he got there…well, he didn't know what he was going to do when he got there. It all would determine how the elder responded. With his mind made up he made a couple of hand signs and disappeared only to reappear in his elder brother's room. It would take a little while for the guards to realize he was gone and he was going to use every second wisely.

"I was wondering when you were going to come. If you're going to kill me, then get it done and over with."

Sasuke stopped his approach to the bed to glare at Itachi. If he hadn't spoken, Sasuke would probably assume that his brother was sleeping.

"Not until you give me answers, Itachi."

"Maybe if I knew the question…"

"I shouldn't have to tell you the question. You're smarter than that, but if you so desperately want to delay this, it was the same question I asked you when I was laying on the floor looking at our parents' corpses."

Itachi sighed. He had come to the conclusion over a week ago that Sasuke was no longer the foolish, naive child he had faced so many years ago. After everything that had happened since they were seven and thirteen, Itachi knew that his little brother needed the answers, and he also knew that Sasuke deserved them. He couldn't hide the truth any more, and whatever happened afterwards, he probably deserved.

"It's a long story, Sasuke, and I'm tired of keeping the truth from you. If we get interrupted, I will continue, but this is for your ears only. I don't owe this village anything."

"Fine, I would prefer this between the two of us anyway; just as long as you tell me the truth."

Itachi sat up and leaned back on the pillow so that he could properly tell his brother the story.

"As you already know, since I was young I was considered one of the most gifted members of our clan. Everyone paid attention to me, so much that when I ascended the ranks, I was given more responsibility and knowledge, only to be constricted by it. By the time I became a Chunin, I had been allowed into the adults' inner circle, and expected to contribute and keep secrets for the clan's well being."

He looked at his brother. Sasuke looked back, confused as to the point of the information Itachi had given him, so he continued.

"I went to clan meetings and did whatever father asked me to do without question. I was as young and naive as you were when you were seven, but now I don't see that as much of an excuse for the events that were sent into motion, especially since things seemed ordinary enough to me. It wasn't until I became a Jounin a few years later that things began to change within the clan."

"Changed?"

Itachi nodded.

"Even after they were almost all dead, the Uchiha clan was revered and even somewhat feared within the village, but with as much attention they probably gave you, you already know that. We were powerful, well respected, and had the skills to back up the village's claim as a gem. However, all the respect and admiration lead to the eventual downfall of the clan and that was before I even threw a kunai or shuriken, or even raised my sword."

Sasuke glared at his brother. He hated how his brother left him hanging every other sentence, but he kept his mouth shut. Itachi began to chuckle slightly causing Sasuke's gaze to become more ominous.

"It is pride, foolish little brother."

Sasuke face changed to reveal shock. He certainly wasn't expecting Itachi to say that. The elder smiled slightly. Even if he had decided to tell the truth, he didn't have to be nice about it. Besides, wasn't it the job of a sibling to give the other a hard time?

"Pride?" Sasuke said finally as an inquiry for Itachi to continue.

"Yes, pride. As a clan we had gotten so powerful that it soon started to infect the minds of the elders, including our father. Soon, there were even rumors of rebelling and the beginning of a village made solely of the members of the Uchiha clan, but at the time, they remained rumors, or so I thought."

Itachi stopped knowing that the story was just going to get harder from here on in.

"Around the time I became a member of ANBU, the rumors solidified. The elders began to start to talk about plans and as a Jounin I was expected to push to become a member of ANBU and help with the plans. I was hesitant, not really sure where my loyalties lied. I clung to the hope that the ideas would die and I would be free to what I wanted to do, but that didn't happen."

"They went through with their plans for a revolt…but why would they think to do something so stupid?"

"Arrogance…they thought they were invincible. Father was no different. He believed that we could win and it was then that I became part of their plan. Father volunteered me and I felt that I couldn't refuse. You remember that day that you overheard us talking in the dark and I got you sent back to bed don't you."

"I remember everything about that time."

"Father wanted me to go to the meeting so the clan could finalize the plan. They wanted to implement it within a matter of weeks, so that meeting was important and Father felt I was obligated to go, but I didn't go that night."

"No," Sasuke said with contempt in his voice, "You were busy killing your best friend, so you could get your hands on the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"Yes, but the story goes much deeper than that. Shisui asked me to kill him."

"Asked?"

"We knew about the Mangekyou Sharingan...how it was obtained...everything, but both of us had come to the conclusion that we could never kill each other to gain it, but when the plan to revolt was in its final stages, that changed things. Originally, he was planning on committing suicide, but after he met up with me by the river, he asked me to kill him and to use the power to stop...to stop everything...to end the rebellion, so I did and used his suicide note to cover it up as he would have wanted me to. Of course, you know what happened next."

"Yeah," Sasuke said quietly, "I thought you had lost your mind. I'd never seen that side of you before."

Itachi allowed himself to smile.

"At the time, I didn't think of myself as Shisui's killer, and once the blame turned to me, I discovered that I loathed the clan...loathed it with everything I had. I focused on the path that Shisui had helped to set for me, and I was comfortable with it. Of course father and I fought over the event, and..."

"That's when the split between you and father started."

"Yes..."

The brothers fell silent. Itachi wanted the weight of everything to set in. He wanted Sasuke to hear everything…to have a chance to let it sink in bit by bit.

"Tell me Itachi."

"Tell you what?"

"I think I understand why you killed the clan, but how could you kill father and mother? Why did you spare me when I was a part of the clan that you hated so much?"


	4. My Weakness and My Strength

Brothers  
Chapter 3: My Weakness and My Strength  
August 19, 2007  
By CCD

A/N: I want to apologize again if Itachi and Sasuke seem a little OC, but I find it appropriate for the situation that they're in and also for Itachi talking in large chunks. I tried to find appropriate places to break it up, but it was difficult since Sasuke has a tendency to be overly quiet and fairly mature in what he says. Oh and a preview of the next chapter will be in my Biography. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"I think I understand why you killed the clan, but how could you kill father and mother? Why did you spare me when I was a part of the clan that you hated so much?" 

"I've already told you why I killed our parents. I thought you just said that you understood."

Sasuke glared as he replied, "Don't tell me you loathed them too. How could you not care?"

"Sasuke, I did care about them. As twisted as it sounds, that is why I chose to end their lives."

"What?"

"Father was a slave to his pride and the pride of the clan. His arrogance was much worse then he showed you. Mother loved us and worked hard to be the best mother that she could for us, but I know that she would have followed the arrogant man that she loved more than anything else. We mattered and she loved us, but not as much as she loved him."

Itachi felt tears began to rise to the surface. He clenched his blanket tightly, and looked down at his hands trying to fight back the tears.

"A part of me didn't want to kill them, but I felt that I had to. I had to end it all so that they could be free. Free from the pride and the arrogance and all the expectations."

"But then why did you spare me?"

I don't know why I spared you. Maybe it was because you were still semi-pure. Maybe I still saw you as my little brother and I just couldn't bring myself to hurt you let alone kill you. Maybe I hoped that someday you would in turn kill me. Maybe there were all those reasons or more. I just couldn't and there's nothing more that I can say but that.

Sasuke closed his eyes. He could still remember his brother's words on that night so long ago.

"You're not even worth killing, foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me one day foster your hatred and despise me, surviving in such an unsightly manner as this. By all means flee, cling to your retched life."

"What?"

"You don't remember. You said those words to me the day you left, and despite saying all that. You still don't know why you spared my life. You're a terrible liar, Itachi! Now tell me the truth."

The brothers sat quietly while Itachi thought about what he was going to say.

"Are you going to answer me Itachi? I thought I deserved the answers to these questions. I thought I deserved you honesty.

"To be honest with you Sasuke, you have to see my life though my eyes and you have to see what I thought of you."

"What you thought of me?"

"Yes, but first you have to understand what I had to go through in my life. I told you once that it isn't easy being a protégé and I meant what I said. As I began my education in the Shinobi arts, it was clear to others I wasn't ordinary. I excelled far beyond everyone else in my class. At first I was proud of my achievements, but when I realized that I was getting too much attention it was too late."

"What do you mean too late?"

"I realized that more responsibility would be placed on me than should be put on any child. I killed my first rogue ninja when I was nine, I had been doing missions with teenage trainees since I was seven, and once I got my Sharingan, no even before then, I was the most talented member of my three-man cell. It was hard for me to make friends because of jealousy and ignorance. The friends I did have were older than me and respected me more than they were real friends."

He swallowed the knot in his throat before continuing his story.

"Shisui was the first real friend that I had. He listened to what I had to say, allowed me to stumble when everyone else would judge me, took my ideas into consideration without criticism. He was for me what Naruto became for you. That's why I took his life when he asked me. I felt like I owed it to him for everything he did for me. After him, I think I cared the most about you, Sasuke."

Itachi looked at Sasuke and finally let his tears flow freely. Sasuke stared in shock, but didn't say anything. He had never seen his brother cry. Not even when he was younger.

"Since the day you were born, I had always hoped that your life would never be like mine. When the elders began to watch you and then walked away, when father turned his attention from you, I had hoped that you would have the life that I couldn't. As you grew older, I realized I envied the life that you had and I also saw that you envied my life. As cliché as it sounds, I knew we both wanted what was out of our reach and couldn't see what we had in front of us."

"Although I was the top of my class, it was never good enough. I was always wondering if I could ever catch up to you both in ability and in the clan's eyes, especially father's eyes. Nothing seemed to be enough and in the end, I envied what you had, but I never could see what you were going through."

"I kept you at a distance, because I didn't want that for you. Although it is something I regret; there is a part of me that couldn't let you face what I had to face. You want to know why I couldn't kill you. It is because I couldn't kill the person that I cared about, despite the envious thoughts I had. I fought to give you the freedom you deserve, even if it wasn't exactly easy for you. I do have some regrets, but I wanted so much for you that I did what I had to and so I couldn't kill you and to make sure I wouldn't I tried to make you fear me so you would stay away."

"But I didn't."

"No you didn't. You did as I told you and in the end you have surpassed me. For the longest time I thought of you as my opposite; the other half that completed myself, had what I wanted, but couldn't have, and I guess I still do feel those thing, but I feel like you're not the seven year old I remember. I still call you foolish, because of habit, not because I really think you are. It's funny how we both have changed."

The room became silent once more. It was a lot of information and emotion to digest. Sasuke knew that if the topic didn't change he was going to be crying like his brother.

"Why did you join the Akatsuki?"

"I knew that I couldn't remain in the village. They wouldn't believe something like that without proof and I had none, now that I had killed everyone, but the one person who knew nothing. I had no time to find proof, so I quickly left. I lost my purpose of looking after you when I left and so I sought out another purpose. I was approached by the leader of the Akatsuki and I felt that I had a purpose again of ridding the world of these monsters for the time being. I had no intention of coming near the village again and I was going to try to avoid you at all cost, at least, until I was given the assignment of capturing the container of the nine-tailed fox."

"Which is why you went after Naruto?"

"That day, I was more than willing to take the hit from Chidori, but then for a split second, I didn't want my blood on your hands, like the clan's blood is on mine. That's why I caught you arm that day and tried to force you away. When I learned that you had gone to Orochimaru, I knew that one day this would come to its conclusion and in the end we would test our strength against each other. I was hoping I would die, but apparently, you had different ideas and here we are full circle again."

The two boys shared a silence of understanding. They felt like they understood each other better than before.

"Sasuke, I know that words will not undo what has been done, but I want you to know, that I am sorry."

"Itachi, this is a lot for me to think about. I'm going to head back to my room and sort this out for myself."

"I understand. I knew it would come to this if I ever told you the truth."

Sasuke nodded and with a few quick hand signals, he was gone. Itachi simply stared at the spot where his brother once stood. He smiled slightly feeling the terrible weight lifted off his chest.

_Sasuke, you were always my weakness and my strength. Now that you have the knowledge what are you going to do with it?_


	5. Inquiries and Decisions

**Brothers  
****Chapter 4: Inquiries and Decisions  
****August 19, 2007  
****By CCD**

**A/N: Preview of the next chapter will be in my Biography. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Tsunade stomped through the halls of the hospital in anger. She had been so busy with her duties as a Hokage that she had been able to come to the hospital to chew out the Uchiha brothers. Members of the Anbu Black Ops had realized that Sasuke had disappeared from his room nearly an hour after he left. As they were searching his room for his whereabouts and heading to Itachi's room, Sasuke had returned distressed.

The blond village leader knew at once that Sasuke had finally talked with his brother. Thankfully Sasuke and Itachi hadn't killed each other though both had gone quiet and their usually stoic faces held a great deal of sadness. She had no idea what the brother's had talked about, but from the accounts of Sakura and Naruto, Sasuke seemed to have lost his will to kill his older brother.

Tsunade sighed as she stopped two feet from the door of the younger brother. Sakura was just coming out of the room and shut the door quietly. She looked up and smiled at the Hokage, but Tsunade could see the traces of tears in her eyes.

"Hello, Lady Tsunade," Sakura said softly.

"Hello Sakura, how are you doing today?"

"I'm fine."

"Then why were you crying?"

Sakura gasped and looked away from her mentor and Hokage. Her smile faded.

"It's just sad to see Sasuke like that. He doesn't have the motivation to do anything and he always looks so sad. He rarely eats or sleeps anymore and he always so lost in thought. I think he's worried about something serious," she paused, "Do you think this has something to do with his brother?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to talk to him. Hopefully he'll tell me what's going on and we can do something to help him."

Sakura wiped the tears in her eyes and smiled a genuine smile. She bowed and dismissed herself from the presence of her sensei. Tsunade watched her leave and then turned to the door in front of her. She knocked gently and then entered the room.

The woman was surprised to see him laying in bed staring out the window. She half-expected Sasuke to be pacing the room cursing at his brother. The medical ninja approached the bed and sat in the chair before addressing the young man.

"Sasuke, I have your release papers from the hospital all filled out so you're free to go and also your re-instatement as a Ninja has been approved by the council so you can start to go on missions again as soon as we get everything settled. You will be put back on your original squad with Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura."

Sasuke didn't respond. Tsunade sighed again and decided it was time to break the ice.

"I know you spoke with Itachi and whatever you talked about has caused all this. What happened between the two of you? What did you talk about?"

"I wanted answers. He gave them to me."

Tsunade was shocked. She also wasn't expecting a strait answer from the younger Uchiha.

"What kind of answers did Itachi give you?"

Sasuke slowly turned to look at her. He recounted the discussion he had with Itachi with great detail. Tsunade felt that she was in the same room as the two brothers as they had their discussion.

"I know that Itachi didn't want me to tell you any of this, but I don't know what to do about it. What can I do when I have no proof to the truth of his words nor am I in any high position to make a decision? Tsunade, I've given you what I can. I'm too emotionally attached to this to come up with a rational solution on my own, but as Hokage, I will accept your choice."

Tsunade looked at the normally stoic younger Uchiha. She could see that he was overwhelmed, and wanted to believe his brother, but because of what they had gone through, he couldn't trust his own judgment.

"I'm going to take this to the council, Sasuke, and we are going to investigate it fully before we make our final decision about Itachi. From his story alone, he seems to be a victim as much as you are, but many of the villagers will only see him as the man that killed his own clan. No matter the choice, it's going to be a hard road for you."

"I understand and I accept it fully."

"No doubt that the council will want some input from you in this matter."

"I will do my best to give unbiased opinions and decisions if they do. I want to find out what was going on when I was young and find either truth or holes in Itachi's story."

"Very well, your new mission is to investigate your clan's and especially you family's records to see if there is any legitimacy to Itachi's story and report your findings to the council. Would you like a squad to aid you in this task?"

"No, this is something I would rather do alone."

"Very well then, I would suggest looking at some of the journals and books kept by your family. I know that many books were moved to the archives in the basement of the building where my office is. I don't quite know where they are, but you are welcome to go down there and check them out. It's a lot of information for you to go through. Are you sure you wouldn't like a squad to help you look?"

"I'm sure. This is a private matter that I would like to keep between the council, you, Itachi and myself. If others start digging with me, there's no telling what we will have to explain or they may hinder the work than help."

"I understand. I would like you to get started as soon as possible. For now, I'm going to check on your brother. He's being moved either today or tomorrow to a high level security cell until his trial. The sooner you get that information, Sasuke, the faster we can condemn or save your brother."


	6. Journal of Truth

**Brothers  
Chapter 5: Journal of Truth  
August 19, 2007  
By CCD**

**A/N: Next chapter clip in bio and a poll on my page! Please vote and enjoy!**

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Sasuke pushed open the door to his family home and looked at the dark interior of the foyer. He took off his shoes and stepped onto the dust coated floor. No one had stepped foot into his home since he had left.

A feeling of nostalgia came over the young Uchiha. Every time he came into the house the memories of the good and bad times in the house. Sasuke walked through the house; he was on a mission to find some proof to his brother's words or to pass them off as lies.

Most of his family records were in the room that his parents died in. Journals and family history records were kept there by his parents. He ran his hands over the many leather bound volumes before plucking one off the shelf and flipping to an open page. He recognized the handwriting as his mother's. Sasuke smiled slightly as he began to read and a good memory was brought to his mind.

_Itachi came home today carrying Sasuke on his back. Apparently, Itachi was practicing targeting his Kunai and Sasuke tried to imitate him, injuring his ankle in the process. I was happy to see the two of them spending time together…_

Sasuke stopped, knowing that his mother's next statement would be one filled with worry or carried a hint of comparison between the two brothers, most likely both. He flipped some more pages until he found another entry.

_Sasuke has been working so hard to impress his father. He's been out every day trying to master the fire technique his father tried to teach him. I caught him walking out to practice again. I stopped him and tried to treat his wounds. He didn't say anything, but I could tell he was in pain. He completed the technique and showed his father. Fugaku glowed with pride, but he told me he was worried that Sasuke was competing with his brother._

_Sasuke mastered the technique much faster than Itachi did, I do know that. Fugaku and I never realized until now that we were comparing the two so much. Now that I look back, all the incidents, they've gotten so competitive lately and we never saw. I hope it's not too late to fix things. Itachi and Sasuke are both so precious to me…I don't want anything to happen to our family. With the talk about rebellion against the village, I hope that it doesn't escalate. All I know that if it does, it could tear our family apart…_

Sasuke stared at the page in shock. At first, he thought he was seeing things, but it was his mother's handwriting; he could never forget anything so simple yet important to him. He was so close to the truth, he could feel it. He flipped until he came into the last entry; he started to read near the end of the entry.

_I worry about Itachi the most. With the clan elders going ahead with the rebellion, I can see he is torn between his loyalty to the village and loyalty to the clan. If only Fugaku hadn't volunteered him to head a squad in the rebellion… I didn't think he would be like this. _

_Itachi and his father have been at odds with one another since that incident with Shisui…I had hoped that Fugaku was as worried as I was about the competition between Sasuke and Itachi, but I guessed wrong. I know Sasuke wants the attention of his father, but it not only confirms the rift between my husband and eldest son, but that if Itachi cannot do what is asked of him, they might consider using Sasuke. That is my biggest fear._

_I never wrote about this before, but Itachi also attacked a few members of the police squad who were telling him about the death of Shisui. Fugaku and Sasuke witnessed it. Fugaku told me Itachi was saying crazy things, but I think there is more than what Fugaku told me though. _

_Itachi looked so sad when I saw him after dinner in the hall this evening. I hope he doesn't feel any guilt for not being to help his best friend and I honestly hope that Itachi didn't know anything about his suicide. Fugaku has his doubts about it being a suicide, and to be honest, I do too, but I don't want to believe that Itachi was involved._

Sasuke stopped. His mother knew more than she always let on. In this passage, she confirmed everything Itachi said was true about the rebellion, but there was no motivation other than pressure from the clan.

He skimmed the shelf to see if he could find one of Itachi's old journals. He grabbed them all and flipped to see the last entries. None of them were the last one that he wrote in, but Sasuke felt that it had to be in the house. He grabbed all of Itachi's journals and his mother's journal and placed them in the hall. He ran to his brother's room and began to tear the room apart. He found a journal under his brother's futon. He flipped the pages to the end of the entries, ran out of the room, gathered what he had found, and took off towards the Hokage tower.


	7. You Have A Deal

**Brothers  
****Chapter 6: You Have A Deal  
****August 19, 2007  
****By CCD**

**A/N:** All right, so I've gotten one to many complaints about grammar and mistakes in my stories. **I AM LOOKING FOR A BETA-READER** (if that didn't catch your attention I don't know what will), so if any of you have time, good editing skills (that are up to my standards, I just don't have the time, I can barely keep up writing as it is), and are will to put up with my erratic updating schedule as well as be willing to do this for all of my stories…I would greatly appreciated. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I have the next chapter's clip in my biography. Check it out and enjoy

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Tsunade walked down the hall of the high-security ward of the Leaf village's prison. In her hands were two journals that had been key in the investigation of the death of the Uchiha clan. She also had a folder of paperwork, that she hoped she would actually use.

After a month of intense debate, full of reviews and testimonies, as well as rigorous research had finally come to an end. With concrete proof of what had been going on in the village, the council had come to its final decision. There had been a lot of reluctance, but at the urging of the Hokage and Sasuke, the only thing the council could do is hope they were not making a huge mistake.

Because of her urging, the medic ninja had been given the task of talking to the rogue ninja and make a final decision that would have to be respected by the whole village. Itachi's fate rested on her decision and how he reacted to what she had to say.

When she reached the right cell, she glared at the two masked ANBU members outside of it. She gave a quick nod and waited for them to unlock the door so that she could enter. They shut it behind her, leaving her alone with the room's only occupant, who was laying on the bed with an arm lying across his eyes.

Tsunade took a moment to think about what she wanted to say and surveyed the cell. The bed, table, and chair were dingy and covered in dirt and dust. A small, shredded blanket was folded at the end of the bed underneath its occupant's feet. On the table was a tray of untouched, meager scraps. There was no window in the room, only a few candles gave dim light in the room. The Hokage shivered at her surroundings and wondered if all the cells were like this, or just Itachi's.

She turned once again to the occupant in the room. Itachi hadn't moved once since she entered, nor had he said anything. He had probably gotten used to people entering and exiting the room without a word. She was startled when he sighed and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"If you have something to say to me or if you want to try and torture me, go ahead and get it over with. I'm not in the mood to be patient and wait while you make up your mind."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Itachi, but I plan on discussing something with you, though I like how you have this impression that you have the strength to defend yourself after living in these conditions."

Itachi lifted his arm higher to reveal his Sharingan peering from the shadow that his arm made. His eyes slowly faded back to their obsidian state, before he pushed himself into a sitting position and faced the Hokage.

"What do you want, Tsunade?"

"…To ask you some questions."

"I already answered all the questions I planned on answering. Why don't you go ask my brother since he told you everything I told him?"

"You should be thanking your brother. He found proof that what you said it was true, and revealed that you were under a great deal of stress during that time. They also understand your need to punish yourself in joining the Akatsuki…"

"Get, to the point, Tsunade"

"The council has reviewed your case and is willing to give you a lenient sentence if you agree to some specifications."

"What kind of specification," Itachi replied staring directly at the blond Hokage.

She smirked and stared back with just as much confidence.

"I would like you to return to the village as an active Jounin and give us some information on the Akatsuki."

"Is that all?"

"I want you to try to repair your relationship with your brother."

"That will depend on him."

"He has expressed some desire to get to know you, and it has been added to his probation terms. The two of you could be a powerful force and a great aid to the village, and before you go off on how much trouble that caused the generations before you, I want the two of you to take the knowledge that you now know and try to change and make things better for each other."

They were silent for a moment.

"Are you finished?"

"Yes, should you choose to accept, you will be reinstated as a Jounin on a probationary period and yes, I know there will be a long road ahead of you, but in my opinion, redeeming yourself if better than dying with regrets…dying in disgrace. Don't you agree?"

"I do, but before I agree I want to know something."

"And what might that be?"

"Why are you doing this? Why do this when the whole village and even I know that I deserve to die?"

"I believe that you deserve a second chance and I believe you want to make things right again. I'm not the only one either."

"My foolish little brother no doubt…"

"I don't see why you call him foolish, but yes and Naruto thinks so too."

"Is that all?"

Tsunade could see where this was going? Itachi was torn between the death that he felt he deserved and the second chance others were willing to give him. Tsunade sighed and opened one of the journals to a marked page. She began to read it aloud to the man sitting across from her.

"Itachi has become so distant since he became a Jounin. I wonder if we are pushing too far…too fast. He's special, but I wonder if all this responsibility on him is causing more strain than necessary. After all, I know several adults that can't handle it, so how can we expect this much of a thirteen year old. I tried to tell Fugaku, I was concerned, but he said that Itachi would have spoken up if it was too much. Maybe he's right and I shouldn't worry, but as his mother, how can I not worry"

She looked up just in time to have Itachi snatch the journal out of her hands.

"Where did you get this?"

"Your brother brought it to me. Your own mother confirmed everything about your story in her journal, with page after page of concern for you and your brother. If you knew what she spoke about, maybe you would have spared her too."

They were silent as Itachi flipped the pages of the journal.

"She knew, Itachi, and if you don't take this second chance, I don't think she'll ever forgive you."

Itachi took a moment to linger on the last remaining memory that his mother left behind, before shutting the book with reverence and placing it beside him.

"You're right, Tsunade. I will take that second chance."

"Good, I was hoping you would."

She pulled out the folder and handed it to Itachi.

"This is for you. It has some information about your welfare as well as your first mission."

Itachi looked over the information. He was going to be given a small apartment close to the Hokage tower as well as food, clothing, and weaponry until he once again could provide for himself and move back in with his brother. As it was, the village wouldn't trust him, and Sasuke still didn't fully trust him. It was going to take some time, but he was appreciative of the support the Hokage was willing to provide until he regained some of his respect and trust back.

His mission intrigued him. He had been placed as a fifth member on Kakashi's squad. They were ordered to go on an A-ranked mission to gather vital information on the Akatsuki. They had been ordered to not engage in combat at all costs, but they could if they had to, thus the A-rank on the mission.

Itachi thought about the organization he had still been a part of nearly two months before. Despite there only being five members remaining, this was not going to be easy. Kisame had no doubt returned to them with news of his 'capture' and they would all be on high alert. Not only that, but these were the toughest shinobi and would provide a harsh challenge for those who would go up against them.

"So, what do you think?"

"I have to at least thank you for the apartment, food, and other amenities you are giving me, however, you do know that you are playing a dangerous game with the Akatsuki."

"How so?" she asked hoping he wasn't implying betrayal already.

"The risk of me betraying you is none, so don't worry about that now, but the Akatsuki is going to be a powerful force to go up against. That and Naruto is the one thing they seek. Do you think they are going to let the nine-tailed fox slip through their hands that easily?"

"No, I don't. That's why you're joining their squad. The five of you have the most experience dealing with Akatsuki members. Sakura helped kill Sasori. Naruto and Kakashi fought Deidara. The three of them helped another squad defeat Hidan, and Kakuzu. Sasuke killed Orochimaru and Deidara. You've worked with them for years. Because of your experience, the five of you are ideal for this mission. You have the preparation and the skills to do this…I have faith in your success."

Itachi nodded, engrossed in his other paperwork. Tsunade smiled as she watched him. She then remembered where they were and sighed.

"Why don't we get you out of here? You can take care of that stuff this week while you prepare for that mission. Besides, I want to go ahead and get your physical out of the way."

The folder snapped shut and Itachi stood up, He followed Tsunade out of the room. As they walked the halls, he could feel the eyes of the guards and other prisoners glaring at him. The guards were still watching his every move. He allowed his long hair to hide his face knowing it would take some time for them to accept him as a comrade again.

_I will redeem myself in the eyes of this village. Failure is not an option anymore._


	8. Rebuilding Severed Bonds

**Brothers  
****Chapter 7: Rebuilding Severed Bonds  
****August 19, 2007  
****By CCD  
**

**A/N: As per usual, a clip of the next chapter is in my Bio. I'm still looking for a beta and specifications are in my bio as well. Enjoy!

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The sun rose over the Leaf village signaling, to many of the occupants, that it was time to start the day. Half had been up for hours, while others were just crawling out of bed. For one individual, it was a day he was excited about, yet at the same time dreaded it.

Itachi had been up for a while. He hadn't been able to get a peaceful nights rest due to his anxiety and excitement. Today he and his squad would be leaving for their mission. Tsunade had given him an entire week to rest and get his affairs in order as well as prepare for the mission ahead.

It would be his first mission back as a Leaf shinobi. That news he new was met with great opposition from the other villagers, and so he had remained in his apartment for most of the week. He knew it was going to be like this, but he didn't expect things to be this bad. He already had many shinobi looking for him to give them a piece of their minds or worse, try to take his life, but he had avoided them so far. Tsunade and Shizune had been the only two who had come to visit him and bring him the things that he needed. The ex-ANBU hadn't even seen his younger brother yet.

Itachi wasn't hungry, but he knew he should eat something to give him energy since he barely got any sleep. He quickly ate his breakfast and walked back to the bedroom to change. The new Leaf Jounin looked at his attire and gear on the bed. He quickly dressed and went to look at himself in the full-length mirror.

He expected his outfit to fade entirely to a black cloak with red clouds. For a moment he could see the slash through the leaf village emblem on his headband, but only for a moment. He was still wearing black pants and a black shirt with a green Jounin vest covering his clan symbol on his shirt. His headband was new, unscratched and perfect.

Itachi walked away from the mirror and checked his pack and supplies one last time. He placed his weapons pouches in there respectable places at his waist and right leg. His new sword he threw over his shoulder before placing his pack over it. It had been too long since he had prepared like this, it was nostalgic. After all, he hadn't been on a mission for any village since he was 13. It was scary and exciting at the same time.

He turned to survey his apartment before walking outside. After making sure his apartment, he took off towards the gate with as much speed he could muster. The last thing he wanted was a confrontation with a group of villagers. He landed just inside of the gate scaring the two guards for a moment before recognition set in. Tsunade must have warned them that he would be there.

Now all he had to do was wait for his brother and the rest of the squad to show up and he could escape his persecutors for at least a short time. Even if Kakashi's squad didn't like the idea of working with him, they would at least put up with it for the time being…only because they had too though.

A few minutes passed before he noticed his brother's approach with a pink haired woman who was talking to him. Itachi recognized her as a member of the squad, but he didn't know her name even though he had seen her plenty of times. He did know that she had trained under Tsunade, so it was best that he kept away from her fists. Sasuke stopped and looked Itachi, causing his once animated companion to stop as well.

"Hello Itachi," Sasuke said in a flat tone.

"Hello Sasuke," Itachi replied in an equally flat tone.

Itachi was surprised that he got a greeting from his brother. They hadn't seen each other since the day they talked in the hospital. Although Tsunade had assured him that this was what Sasuke wanted, Itachi knew that things weren't just going to fix themselves. It was going to take a lot of time. The elder Uchiha's thoughts were broken by a yell as an over-enthusiastic blond approached.

"Sasuke, Sakura, good morning," Naruto yelled as he ran to the gate.

"You're late, Naruto," Sasuke said addressing his orange clad friend.

"…by like a minute, and anyway, Kakashi-sensei is always way later than that."

"Actually, I'm not always late, Naruto," the silver Jounin called down from the building above them before he dropped down to join them on the ground.

"Wow, Sensei, you're actually almost on time. You normally make us wait for at least an hour for you."

"Yes, well, today's a special mission. As you know we have a new member on our squad and I'd hate to set a bad impression. Isn't that right, Itachi?"

The group turned to look at the newest member of their squad who was leaning against one of the huge doors to the village entrance. Itachi didn't look away from the stares. Kakashi certainly knew how to make things worse than they already were…or awkward at least.

"Don't change your habits on my account, Kakashi. You are always late for everything, so we expect it. If you start showing up on time, we'll think there's something wrong with you."

"Of course, you're right, but the Hokage told me I had to be on time today, or she would make my life very unpleasant, so I made my best efforts today."

Itachi knew what he meant. No one wanted to be on Tsunade's bad side. It tended to land you in the hospital, and for shinobi, the hospital meant no missions for a while.

"Come on Kakashi-sensei. Let's get going," the blond knuckleheaded ninja yelled from just outside the gate where he and the others had moved.

"Stop being impatient, Naruto. We have something we have to do first," Kakashi said.

"What could we possibly have to do before going on our mission, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura asked.

"We're going to go just into the forest a little ways and the five of us are going to chat about a few things."

The younger shinobi looked at each other before the three of them glared at Itachi.

"Stop staring you three, let's just go into the woods and get this over with."

The five of them walked into the woods until they came to a small clearing.

"Ok, this is good enough. We'll stop and talk here, sit."

Naruto flopped on the grass while Sakura and Sasuke sat down a little bit more gracefully. Itachi leaned up against a tree behind the others. Itachi had a good idea as to where this speech was going, but he was just going to let Kakashi state the obvious. He closed his eyes and allowed his head to drop a little.

"Ok, I doubt that you guys need to hear this, but Lady Tsunade asked that I do this, so I'm going to this. Do the three of you remember the first lesson I taught you?"

The teens were silent. Kakashi sighed and began to speak again.

"Fine, since the three of you are not in the mood to talk than you're going to listen. I taught the three of you teamwork years ago. I realize that this is going to be awkward and that there are trust issues going to be involved in this mission. I am not just talking about Itachi either."

The ex-rogue lifted his head and looked at the copy-ninja. He thought this was just going to be about him. Apparently, he had been wrong.

"I know that everyone on this squad has suffered because of the actions of at least one of the other members. I'm not going to say get over it. I know that the events that have happened won't be easily forgotten and the wounds created by these events won't heal quickly."

Kakashi paused in an awkward silence. He thought about what he was going to say next, but before he could speak he was cut off.

"Kakashi, spit out whatever you're trying to say; you've never been one for mushy speeches," Sasuke said in an indifferent tone.

"That's true. I'm not into that stuff. I'm asking the four of you to work together and try to learn to trust each other. We have to rebuild the bonds that were severed years ago. If you don't, we won't be able to pull off this mission, or at least, we won't be efficient in getting the information that this village needs. Can everyone try to do that?"

They were silent for a moment. They were going through things in their minds.

"I'll try," Naruto said breaking the silence, "I can't forget the good or the bad times I've had with this squad, and when Sasuke left, I never gave up on bringing him back. Working as a squad again, was what I've wanted since he left and I'm not going to let the bad times stop me."

"Me too," Sakura said with a smile.

The two of them looked over at Sasuke.

"I'll try, but I'm not going to guarantee anything, Kakashi. Not while I'm working with that loser."

"What was that?"

"You heard me," he said before he lowered his voice, "loser."

"Sasuke, I'm gonna…" Naruto said before standing up, trying to intimidate his dark haired teammate

Itachi watched the scene unfold and smiled. The banter between the two of them was amusing.

"All right, that's enough you two. Sit back down Naruto," Kakashi said before he addressed the final member of their group, "What about you Itachi?"

All eyes were once again on him. He should have known that this was going to be like this, at least for a little while. As it stood, he didn't have any bonds, nobody trusted him, and who knew if they were ever going to. Despite that, he had to try

"If they are willing to make the effort, then I will too. I know that the four of you have no reason to trust me, but Kakashi's right. It will be a hindrance to us if we don't work together. I've been given a second chance, after all, and I'd hate to ruin it," the long haired shinobi replied as he looked over at his younger brother.

"Good," Kakashi smirked under his mask, "now that that's settled we can begin the mission."


	9. Attack Under Pressure

_**Brothers  
**__**Chapter 8: Attacked Under Pressure  
**_**August 19, 2007  
****By CCD**

**  
A/N: Brothers came in third, tied with A Trial of Sin! Remember to vote for this story if you want a faster update!**

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"I don't remember this being here before," Kakashi said as he stopped causing those behind him to look around him to the road ahead of him.

"I don't remember it being here either," Itachi said as he got a good look of the road as well.

There was a fork in the road in what they thought…no, what they knew was be a strait path.

"Is it a Genjutsu?" Sakura asked as she made a hand signal and tried to release it only to find out that nothing happened.

"I suppose not," Kakashi said never looking away from the road.

"So…so what are we going to do now?" Naruto asked.

"Well I guess we're just going to have to split up and see what we could find out," Kakashi replied before someone could say something smart to make the blond angry.

"Huh…" Naruto and Sakura said at the same time.

"Naruto and I will take the path to the left. Itachi, take Sasuke and Sakura and take the path to the right. We'll see what information we can gather and meet back up. Since the Hokage wanted us to check up on things in the Sound Village as well, we'll head that way and meet up there. Let's go."

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Sasuke walked a little ways behind his brother and Sakura. It was just like Kakashi to make things turn out like this, but Sasuke knew he didn't really have a choice. Kakashi was probably under orders from the Hokage to the brothers to bond by working together, but he knew it wasn't going to be a simple path. To put it simply, Sasuke still didn't trust Itachi and thanks to Kakashi, he was going to have to work with his brother.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sakura come to stand next to him. She gently touched his arm. When he looked her way, she smiled a weak smile.

"Sasuke, is everything all right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, I just want to be alone for a while."

"Ok, I understand."

With that she began to walk a bit faster so that the younger Uchiha could be left with his thoughts.

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Itachi watched the interaction between his brother and the sole female member of their team. Despite the fact that Kakashi had left him in charge, but he was going to allow a certain freedom to both Sasuke and Sakura. They were smart shinobi that knew what they were doing.

As it was he was distracted. He still felt like something was off with that fork in the road. It could have still been a genjutsu of another sort. A part of him wished that he had tried to release the Genjutsu himself. As it was he felt like they were being watched and in the shinobi world, that was never a good thing.

"Sasuke, Sakura, come here."

"What is it?" Sakura asked as both she and Sasuke approached.

"I think we're being followed."

"Followed?"

"I get the feeling that that fork in the road was to split us up and for whatever reason, we were the ones followed. I just want you to stay alert so that if we come under attack, we can hopefully have some advantage."

The two younger shinobi nodded and began to walk closer to Itachi. They became more alert and spoke quietly about how they could counter a direct attack. It was only a matter of time before they would come under attack.

The attack came swiftly as kunai rained down on the trio. They jumped out of the way and took to the trees, where Sasuke and Sakura turned to throw Kunai of their own with paper bombs attached. They exploded allowing time for an offensive maneuver. Itachi made a few hand signs before inhaling.

"Fire style: Fireball Jutsu"

Many of the assailants were caught in the ball of fire. Their screams of agony could be heard. The trio tried to regroup to prepare for another attack when more kunai came from the skies. Sakura and Itachi were able to fully dodge the Kunai, however one of the Kunai slashed Sasuke and left a shallow cut on his arm.

He landed and jumped again to hide behind a tree to look at the cut. It wasn't deep, but it stung, probably from poison. He hissed slightly at the pain, but pulled a cloth out of his pouch and wrapped it. They younger Uchiha began to feel a little dizzy and unsteady as he tied the knot. Against all logic he had to return to the battle and fight with his brother and teammate.

He turned to jump off the branch only to land very awkwardly on the Sasuke tried to shake off his disoriented state, but it wasn't going to be easy. The goal of the poison was to immobilize without killing at a rapid rate.

_Damn it._

"Sasuke, look out, behind you," Sakura yelled

The dark haired Genin took a second to register what was being said. He tried to look behind him, but in turning he only got dizzy. He could here his comrade call his name several times in panic before he felt like he was flying. The teen could feel the splashes of something warm on his face. A copper scent invaded his senses. It was blood. His mind could register that much, but he was slipping from consciousness at an alarming rate. The last think he heard before he passed out were the frantic cries of Sakura calling his name and dull pain in his abdomen.

* * *

The next thing he could remember was the sound of voices. They were fuzzy at first and then slowly began to get clearer.

"Is he going to be okay?" a male voice asked softly,

"I think so. I got the poison immobilized and other than minor bruising from you kicking him in the stomach, he'll be fine. The real dilemma is that we have to waste time back tracking and catching up with Kakashi-sensei," a female voice replied.

"I agree, but he'll wait for us. No doubt he may have realized what was going on by now."

"Let's just let Sasuke get some rest and we should be good to go in the morning."

There was a small pause before the man spoke again.

"Thank you, Sakura. I don't deserve to be comforted or assured, but you have done just that. Your medical talent is something to be praised."

"Thank you, but you are the real hero. If you hadn't stepped in…he could have…no, would have died. The way the man attacked and how he aimed his kunai, it would have struck his heart. If you hadn't stepped in…Sasuke…Sasuke would have been…and I couldn't…"

"Don't beat yourself up over it. He's alive and that's all that matters now. I know it was hard to lose him once and to nearly lose him again, but you have to fight and hold on to what you don't want to lose."

"Thank you, Itachi."

At that point, Sasuke was coming fully into consciousness and he gasped at the stinging in his arm.

"Lie still, it will hurt more if you keep moving."

"I know, but since have I ever listen to stuff like that," he said in a hoarse voice as he sat up and winced.

"Here," Sakura said as she handed him a canteen of water.

"Thanks,"

He took a gulp of water before bringing it down to look at their surroundings. They were in a cave of some sorts. Sakura and Itachi had lit a fire to keep them warm. Sasuke could see the entrance from where he sat and noticed that the sun had set a long time ago. His brother was no where to be found.

"Where's Itachi?"

"He went outside…why?" she started to say but was stopped

Sasuke stood and walked towards the entrance to the cage. He was surprised when Sakura didn't protest, and he was grateful for it. The younger brother walked out into the cool night, but his older brother was no where in sight. A voice from above him stopped him from returning to the warmth of the cave.

"You should be lying down."

"I should, but I'm not going to."

Sasuke jumped up and joined his brother on top of the entrance of the cave. He took a seat next to him, causing an awkward silence between them.

"Do you trust me now, or is this one of your rash ideas?"

"Who knows, at least now I legitimately owe you something."

"You heard."

"Yes,"

They were silent for a few moments before Itachi spoke again.

"You don't owe me anything you know? After causing you so much pain, I don't expect you to owe me a thing."

"You're probably right, but I don't want to think about it right now."

The silence returned. Itachi sighed.

"What do you really want Sasuke?"

Sasuke paused, unsure of what he wanted to say. He really wanted to forgive and forget, but that was hard to do.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did today, but there's more to it."

"What do you mean?"

"I hate your guts. I really do, but a part of me wants to put all this behind us."

"I save your life and you want to be rash."

"Maybe, am I being rash."

"You hate me, but you're willing to forgive me."

This caused another bout of silent. Itachi waited patiently for his brother to answer him.

"I want to put this behind us. I want to try to forgive, but it's hard when I can never forget what you did, but I want to try. I can deal with the pain. I've been dealing with it for years. You're the only family I have left."

"So you want to try to start over, a clean slate of sorts."

Sasuke nodded before turning away.

"Are you sure you want to do this Sasuke?"

"It's not a want, it's a more of a need to."

"I see. Is this because I saved your life?"

"I don't know. I just know I have to do it."

He paused and thought about the options.

"Okay I'll bite, but I will back down if you don't do your part."

"Agreed,"

From below, Sakura listened and smiled a little. She wanted nothing more than for Sasuke to be at peace. She turned to go back into the case, feeling a little lighter than she was before.


	10. Assesments of Strengthes and Weaknesses

**Brothers – Chapter 10: **Assessment of Strengths and Weakness  
**Story Started: **August 19, 2007  
**Chapter Started/Completed: **October 6, 2008/October 7, 2008  
**CCD**

**A/N: **Sorry about my lack of updates. I'm working full time and going to school full time, so I've been working on my original works more than my fan fiction. That doesn't mean I've given up on them, just bare with my limited time for now.

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE (For your top three favorite stories that is!) This story is tied at number 3 once again. If you want to see more then, vote, vote, vote!

* * *

"How long do you think it will take us to catch up to Kakashi-sensei and Naruto," Sakura asked the next morning as they prepared to go.

"I don't know, but with Sasuke's injuries, I don't want to push too much. If they realize we never met up with them like we were supposed to, protocol is for them to wait until dawn, in case we were delayed, and then come and investigate. If Kakashi uses his hounds, they should be able to find us," Itachi replied as he swung his backpack on his back and pick up his sword off the ground.

"Don't worry about me. I've been through a lot worse. The faster we catch up with them, the faster we can continue the mission," Sasuke said, a little upset over the mention of his injuries.

"You shouldn't push yourself. You'll only make yourself worse and next time I may not help you next time," Sakura said as she glared at the younger Uchiha.

Itachi turned away as he smirked. His foolish little brother had not changed since he was younger. He remembered when he had to carry his younger brother home because he had twisted his ankle trying a difficult target exercise. Sakura was also starting to grow on him. She was firm when it came to being a medical ninja and was good at what she did. However, she did have a weakness in that she cared a great deal for her team mates. He had seen it yesterday when Sasuke was nearly struck. Itachi hoped that it was something that wouldn't hinder the rest of the mission.

"All right you too. We have quite a bit of ground to cover today to get back to the rest of our team and we need to check out the battle site to see if we can find out what they were after. Let's head out, and we are going to take it easy. Let's head out."

* * *

"Pakun, how long until we find them," Naruto asked the Ninja hound.

"I can't say for sure. I do smell some blood and explosives, so there was a battle nearby. I can't really be sure if Sasuke, Itachi, and Sakura were involved until we get there," Pakun said.

"You can't tell us anything," the young blond complained.

"Naruto, you are just going to have to be patient," Kakashi said in a slight exasperating tone.

The trio quickened their pace until Pakun came to a halt. The two flipped around on a tree branch and landed next to the ninja hound.

"What's going on, Pakun?" Naruto asked.

"We've arrived at the battle scene."

The two ninja looked down to see a clearing littered with the bodies of shinobi. The jumped down to check out the damage and to see if their comrades were among the fallen. Movement off to the side caused Naruto to throw a Kunai. A shuriken was thrown in retaliation negating the attack. The blond shinobi was about to throw another knife, when he noticed blood red eyes staring back. He took a step back and took in the other features of the man.

"Sasuke!"

"Who else would I be Usuratonkachi," Sasuke replied, clearly upset that his own team mate had attacked him irrationally.

"Where are Sakura and Itachi?" Kakashi asked.

"Right here, Kakashi," Itachi said.

"What happened here?"

"We were attacked, but as for the motivation behind the attack, we're unsure as to what happened," Itachi replied to Kakashi's question.

"Any injuries?"

"We'll all have minor cuts. Sasuke was poisoned and has a bruised rib, but the poison was extracted," Sakura shot off an edited medical report.

"Were you able to get any rest?"

"A little bit, but we had to keep watch to make sure we were not attacked again. Sasuke got more rest due to his injury," Itachi said, "Did you find anything on your end?"

"We did get a tip about heading to the Land of the Waves. The path we took appears to be the path we need to take. This path must have been created as a raider's path."

Itachi nodded in agreement. He looked around at the rogue shinobi that had attacked them and took in everything that had happened. This was going to be a long mission.

"It's about two days travel to the Land of the Waves. Do the three of you feel you can travel for a bit, or would you like to get some rest?"

"I'm Ok," Itachi said as he glances at Sakura and Sasuke.

"I'm fine as well, but I'm concerned about Sasuke," the pink haired teen said.

"I feel fine. You worry too much Sakura. I got more rest than the two of you yesterday," Sasuke said.

"But…"

"Sakura, if I start to feel bad at all, I swear I will say something. Let's not waste any more time here."

"Yeah, let's go!" Naruto shouted.

Kakashi nodded and the six of them took off in a flash.

* * *

Night fell and Kakashi's squad stopped to rest for the night. They found shelter in a cave due to the fact that there were signs of rain fall. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke fell asleep fairly quickly leaving the two Jounin awake.

"So Itachi, what do you think of them so far."

"Sasuke and Naruto are reckless, but I've been on the receiving end of it, so it's something I can deal with. I am concerned about Sakura's worried behavior though."

"You mean her constant concern for Naruto and Sasuke."

Itachi nodded.

"I know that you think that it's a sign of weakness in her. We were both in ANBU and know that it's what was ingrained in us. She has seen them try to kill each other on multiple occasions and that is what led her to pursue being a medical shinobi. She sees them as family and her concern is justified. I think she can determine when to hide her concern in battle."

"Yesterday when we were attacked, she froze when Sasuke was rendered immobile by the poison. I had to step in and save him. I realize that she is a powerful fighter, but I wonder if she needs to sit out on the sidelines and work on trying to work on cutting her emotions off in battle."

"I usually use her in a defensive position, but I would like you to observe her a bit more before we decide on a rash decision. I've been working with them since they were Genin, so I know many of their strengths and their weaknesses."

Itachi nodded. Kakashi was currently team leader and his superior. He would defer to his suggestion for now. He was trying to come to get to know more about the members of the team, especially their strengths and weaknesses.

"Earlier, when you mentioned the Land of the Waves, they seemed to get excited. Have they been there before?"

"They had their first 'A' ranked mission in the Land of the Waves. They are probably looking forward to see some familiar faces there."

Kakashi told him what had happened with Gato and Zabuza that fateful trip that happened years before hand. Itachi thought it was a miracle that they survived. Kakashi told him several other stories for a while. Things from the Chunin exams and other missions they went on. They both didn't mean to stay up, but soon it was time to switch a shift.

"Naruto, wake up. It's time for your shift."

"I'm up," a groggy Naruto said as he sat strait up and rubbed his eyes.

Itachi had never seen anyone with so much energy. He climbed into his sleeping bag and watched Naruto head towards the entrance excited to be able to do something for the team. Itachi watched the nine-tailed container as he sat down at the cave entrance and look out into the night. He rolled over and glanced at the sleeping members of his team. He smiled and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Usuratonkachi – Roughly translated it means 'total moron.' I usually don't use Japanese in my writing, but this is my favorite Japanese word, so I had to do it once. Sasuke usually calls Naruto this in the Japanese version of the Anime


End file.
